EHA Congress 15th Anniversary - European Hematology Association

Focus on Hemoglobinopathies and Leukemias
EHA Outreach Program:
Report first hematology tutorial in Middle East
One of the main focuses of the EHA Education Program is outreach. The Type II Tutorial held recently in Lebanon is an example
of EHA’s outreach program and is an initiative to complement the needs in hematology education and to emphasize important
topics of benefit to hematologists in the Middle East.
> In March 2010, the Type II Tutorial
‘Diagnostic Work-Up of Hematological Malignancies,
Focus on Leukemia and Hemoglobinopathies’
was held for the first time
in the Middle East, in Lebanon. This educational
activity was organized in collaboration
with the Lebanese Society of Hematology.
A hundred-and-four hematologists
and laboratory physicians from eleven
countries (see Table) participated in this
EHA CME system accredited tutorial.
The meeting spanned three full days
during which ten different topics on sickle-cell
disease, thalassemia, leukemias
and myelodysplastic syndromes were
covered. The first day commenced with
welcome addresses from the regional
chair, Adlette Inati, the President of EHA,
Robin Foà, and the President of the Lebanese
Society of Hematology (representing
the Lebanese Minister of Health Dr
Mohammad Jawad Khalife), Ali Taher. Dr
Inati stressed the objectives of this Tutorial
which are: firstly offering state-ofthe-art
updates, evidence-based guidelines
and advances in diagnostic and
treatment modalities for hemoglobinop-
Faculty and attendants of the Type II Tutorial in Lebanon
10 > EHA Newsletter May 2010
athies and hematologicmalignancies,
and secondly
providing an ideal
forum for close
scientific interaction
between faculty
and participants.
Dr Taher
conveyed the wishes
of Minister
Khalife to make
this event successful
and emphasized
the importance
of Lebanon as a referral
medical center in the region. He also
talked about the optimal care offered by
the Lebanese Ministry of Health for patients
with thalassemia. Both Drs Inati
and Taher underscored the importance
of conducting this Tutorial in Lebanon
and the pride they felt in organizing such
an important meeting in collaboration
with EHA and ESH. Dr Foà also expressed
their feelings in organizing this
event and initiating an academic collaboration
with the Lebanese Society of He-
Nassim Khoriaty, Robin Foà, Ali Taher, Adlette Inati and Gina Zini
matology. After explaining the logistics
of type II Tutorials, he highlighted the
wish of EHA to expand such educational
programs to different countries in and
outside Europe.
The standard format of the Tutorial, as all
type II Tutorials, is based on a lecture, two
tutored clinical cases and self-evaluation
cases with voting box systems all delivered
by each faculty member. Each topic lasted
at least three hours and was thoroughly
reviewed. At the end, the answers to the
questions given in the self-evaluation sessions
were extensively discussed.
The scientific program started with a
lecture on ‘Successes and challenges in
thalassemias’ by Maria Cappellini of the
University of Milan, Italy. The next speaker
was Ali Taher from the American University
of Beirut and his presentation focused
on ‘Thalassemia intermedia’. This
was followed by a lecture by Adlette Inati
from Rafik Hariri University Hospital,
Beirut on ‘Sickle cell disease: current
understanding and management’ and
another one on ‘Blood transfusions in
sickle cell disease’ by Mariane De Montalembert
from Hôpital Necker Enfants
Malades Paris, France.